The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-12-29
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.


the New England States. especially in
the textile mills.
in SOuthern Arizona business of al
kinds il increasing in volume. and the
mining and cattle industries are as
Stunning large proportions.
Eastern parties are making ar
engagements for the establishment Of
boiler and machine factories at Ia
coma, w. 7. The iron to be used will
come from neighboring mines.
BY means of an air-gun. Prof. C.
L. Noes has found that to drive straws
into pine boards and hickory bark. as
is often done by tornadOes, velocity
Of $50 to 175 miles an hour is neces-
sary.-Arkdnsdw Trareler.
The beautiful wood mountain Oh
the Arctic island of New Siberia was
visited in the summer of last year by
Baron Won Toll. a Russian explorer.
The side Of this mountain discloses fos.
sill tree trunks and impressions Of
leaves and fruits in the tertiary rocks.
There are 20 blast furnaces in and
about Pittsburgh, 35 rolling mills, Sc
steel works. Is window glass works. 81
flint-glass works and II green glas:
works. The blast furnaces make 900,-
600 tons of iron per year. the rolling
mills $4,000 tons. steel works $50, 00C
tons, plate glass works 3. 250, 900 square
feet, window glass works 100000.
OF the eephalopods. comprising the
cutie fish. the octopus. or devil-fsh.
and their allies, thirty-two species new
to science were discovered by the Chal.
lenger expedition. according to q report
just finished. Some of the ccphalopod;
have a length of sixty feet. and they
appear formidable rs well as singular
creatures. -ArEdnSdW TraUeler.
Mr.. E. 6. Ravens.ein, the well.
known map-maker. urges the substitu.
ton of the metre for the foot in taking
and stating geographical measure
ments. Denmark and Russia are the
only countries in continental Europe
that have not yet adopted the metre as
their standard of length. The English
foot, however, still holds its own in the
British and Russian empires, and in the
United States.-N y. Ledger.
"A remarkable proof of the protect
tive instinct of birds is reported frou
South America. In Chill the fruit OF
the year is said to have caused the
death of many sheep and cattle when
fed to them in large quantities. The
birds, however, did not touch the fruit.
From this fact it is argued that the in
stinct of birds in respect to fruit may
well guide man in regard to eating it;
and the further suggestion is made that
the condition of the fruit crop of par.
ticular season may have something to
do with outbreaks of epidemic disease,
such as cholera.-N Y. Ledger.
The corn-canning industries in
Maine is n great one. Eighty factories
have been running there this year, and
over IA, 900, 600 cans of sweet corn have
been put up. besides large quantities of
apples, beans. tomatoes and other vege-
tables and fruit. The sales amount to
upward of $2.OO0.000. most of which
goes into the pockets of the farmers
and workmen. The farmers make a
speciality of raising sweet corn, and it is
said the Maine variety is much sweeter
than any other.-PuGltc Opinion.
The remarkable industrial and
commercial progress made in the South
ern States during the past few years
has been widely noticed. An i'm
portant feature of this is found in
the comparative freedom from labor
troubles. which in nearly every other
section of the country have caused SO
much disturbance. Leading Southern
papers have recently called the atten-
ton of manufacturers and others to
this rs an inducement TO embark in
Southern business enterprises, and this,
with natural advantage ut the South,
has induced many TO start in business
Observation-Disclosures.
According 10 recent experiments of
NM. Hauriot and Richet. of which an
account has been given to the French
Academy of Sciences, the ventilation of
the lungs is increased by muscular
labor. In moderate work the vontila-
ton is more than sufficient for the ex-
erection of the carbonic acid produced,
and above all for the absorption of the
necessary oxygen. In hard work the
proportions of carbonic acid produced
and oxygen absorbed rise slightly She
harder the work; but it is chiefly the
proportion of carbonic acid which in
creases. During muscular e1ertion the
ratio of carbonic acid produced to
xygen absorbed tends to become unity,
Though normally it is less than unity.
-EEqiReerinQ.